Vehicle signal device.



cu S vmiwma menu 7 APPLIOATIOE FILED JAN. 30, 1911.

Patented May 23, 1911.

2 BBBETB-BEEET 1.

I INVENTOR.

WITNESSES ATTORNBX.

' c. s. MOORE. VEHICLE SIGNAL DEVICE. APPLICATION-FILED JAN. 30, 1911.

Patgnted May 23, 191i z sums-sum 2.

CHARLES S. MOORE, 0F DANVERS, MASSACHUSETTS.

VEHICLE SIGNAL DEVICE.

Speeification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23,1911;

Application'med January 30, 1911. Serial No. 605,406,

To cll whom it may concemn Be it known that I, CHARLES S. Moore, a

citizen of the United States, residing at' ,Danvers, in the county of Essex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Vehicle Signal Device for the Prevention of Rear-End Vehicle 001- lisions, and'More, Particularly for Use on Automobiles, of which the following is a full clear, and exact description, such'as .Will enable others versed in the art to which it appertains to make and use my said appliance. I

My invention relates to signal devices intended to be used and displayed on the rear end of vehicles and to the method and man ner of o crating and controlling the same.

--The 0 jects of my invention are first, to

7 provide a means for indicating-at the rear 20,

of the vehicle just what the drivers intentions are for future control, whether they be to slow up,-stop, back, or go to the right or left; second, to provide a means for the control of said signalin device, and to provide other advantages an results, some of which may be hereinafter referred to in connection with the description of the various parts.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a perspective view of an automobile equipped with my-improvements; Fig; 2 is a view, in side elevation, partly in section,

, of my invention; Fig.3 is a detached, detail view, in top plan, of the plate 1' and, associated mechanism; Fig. 4 is a detached, detail view, in front elevation, of the visualsignal casing; Fig. v5 is a detached, detail view, in front elevation, of the drum, removed from said-casing; and Fig. 6 is a detached, detail view of the spring.

Referring, now, in detail tothe drawings: Supported inany desired manner, as by a bracket 1", an annular late or casting 1,: having a plurality of ra ial grooves 2 therein, in which is reci rocable a "stud 3' carried by the inner endo an operating-handle, crank, .or lever 4. Radial slots 5, of less'cross sectional area than the ooves 2, are cut in the upper face of said p ate 1, and communicate with said grooves 2. The radial center or hub portion 6 of said slots 5 may be circular in cross sec- ,tion and of greater cross sectional area than any one of said slots 5, but is, of course, of

lesser cross-sectional area than the stud 3, so that the stud-may not he accidentally displaced or removed from'the grooves 2. An

secured to theautomobile 16, is

horn 11, and desirably the manner of association is to have the handle 1 carried within the bulb 9, which has an outlet through'the tube 10 connecting with said-horn; so that, simultaneously ,Wlth the operation of the bulb and the consequent sounding of an audible alarm -througlrthehorn 11, a visual signal or alarm may be displayed at the rear of the automobile, in the manner and by the mechanism now aboutto be fully described.

curedto the stud 3, and maybe guided 'and directed in its movements by pulleys 13, 1e

a A. flexible member, such as .a cord 12, issecarried by the side 15 of the automobile 16, i

and overwhich' pulleys said rope passes.

The visual-signal apparatus and its pref- I erable form of connect1o'ns with the cord 12" will now be described: At the rear of the automobile is supported a casing orbo-x 17 provided with an orifice or slot 18, through which a visual signal may be displayed; Supported in bearings. 19, 19 in said casin 17 is an axial shaft 20 of a polygonal-face drum 21' interiorly of the casing 17. On

,eachof said polygonal faces of the drumv maybe printed a visual signal 22, 23, 24, such as the words Left, Right, Look, respectively; it being understood'of course that the number of signals'is only limited by the number of polygonal faces of the drum.

Any suitable mechanism may be em ployed for operating the visual -signal drum, .That preferred 'and,; therefore,

shown herein as an illustration, is as follows: A pinion 25 is secured on one end of the shaft 20. The rear end ofthe cord 12' (i. a, the end thereof opposite its connection with the stud 3) is secured to one end of a horizontal rod or rock-shaft26. The

other end of said rock-shaft is pivoted to.

the end of the shorter arm 29 ofa bell-crank I levenlfulc'rumed, as at 30,-to'thecas1ng 17,

the end of the longer arm 31 of the lever being pivoted, as at 32, to a rack '33, meshing with the pinion 25. A coil-spring 34, having one end' thereof secured to the shaft 20 of the drum 21, and the other end thereof to a spring-casing carried atone end of the drum 21, maintains the drum 21 in normal position, 2'. e., with the signal Look in line with the slot 18, and with the stud 3 at the center 6.

The operation of the device is as follows: It will be noted that the length of movement of the rack 33 is proportioned to the length of throw of the stud 3 from the center 6 to the particular stop 8, and it will be seen, by reference to Fig. 2, that the length of throw of the stop is different with different slots. Thus, when the stud 3 is moved by the handle 4 along the slot 2 marked Stop, until arrested by the stop 8, the drum will have been rotated sufiiciently to bring the word Sto thereon in line with the opening 18. When the stud 3 is moved along'any one of the slots 2, cord 12 attached to said stud will be pulled and the horizontal rock-shaft 26 (to which said cord is connected) will be moved or drawn forward, thus rocking the bell-crank lever 29- 31 on its fulcrum 30, and reciprocating the rack 33 in mesh with the pinion 25, so as to rotate the drum 21.

It will be noted that the sounding of the audible alarm 11 by the compression of the 'bulb 9 may be efiected practically simulta- 35 neously with the actuation of the visual-sig nal or alarm in the casing 17 at the rear oatv the automobile. This simultaneous sounding of the audible alarm and the display of the visual signal, by the one and the same 40 hand of the operator, is very advantageous.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

1. In a visual-signal device, a rotating body having visual signals thereon, amember havin radial grooves therein, a manually-opera le member carrying, at one end, a member slidable in said grooves, adjustable stops disposed in said grooves for limiting the outward movement of said slidable member, and mechanism intermediate said slidable member and said rotating body for revolving the latter upon movement of the former.

2. In a visual-signal device, a rotating "body having Visual signals thereon, a mem-. ber havin radial grooves therein, a manually-opera le member carrying, at one end, a stud slidable in said grooves, adjustable stops disposed in said grooves for limiting the outward movement of said stud, and mechanism intermediate said stud and said rotating bod for revolving the latter upon movement 0 the former.-.

3. In a visualsignal device, a rotating body having visual signals thereon, a mem* ber having radial grooves therein, a manually-operable member carrying, at one end, a member slidable in said'grooves, adjustable stops, cdmprising screws, disposed in said grooves for limiting the outward movement of said slidable member, and mechanism intermediate said slidable member and said rotating body for revolving the latter upon movement of the former.

l. In a visual-signal device, a rotating body having visual signals thereon, a member having radial grooves therein, a manually-operable member carrying, at one end, a member slidable in said grooves, adjustable stops disposed in said grooves for limiting the outward movement of said slidable member, a pinion carried by said rotating body, a toothed member meshing with said pinion, and operative mechanism intermediate said toothed member and said slidable member for actuating the former upon movement of the latter.

5. In a visual-signal device, a rotating body having visual signals thereon, a member having radial grooves therein, a manually-operable member carrying, at one end, a member slidable in said grooves, adjustable stops disposed in said grooves for limit ing the outward movement of said slidable member, a pinion carried by said rot-atin body, a rack meshing with said pinion, an operative mechanism intermediate said rack and said slidable member for actuating the former upon movement of the latter.

6. In a visual-signal device, a rotating body having visual signals thereon, a member having radial grooves therein, a manually-operable member carrying, at one end, a member slidable in said grooves, adjustable stops disposed in said grooves for limiting the outward movement of said slidable member, a pinion carried by said rotating body, a rack meshing with said pinion, a bell-crank lever pivoted to said rack, and o erative mechanism intermediate said crank lever and said slidable member for actuating the former upon movement of the latter.

7. In a visual-signal device, a rotating body having visual signals thereon, a member having radial grooves therein, a man ually-operable member carrying, at one end, a member slidable in said grooves, adjustable stops disposed in said grooves forlimiting the outward movement of said slidable member, mechanism intermediate said slidable member and said rotating body for revolvingthe latter upon movement of the former, and means for automatically returning .the several parts to normal position after actuation thereof.

8. In a visual-signal device, a rotating body having visual signals thereon, a member having radial grooves therein, a maning the outwar body member, inecha ism, intermediate said slidable member and said rotating bodylfor' revolving the latter upon movement of the former, and spring means for automatically returning the several parts to normal posi: tion after actuation thereof. r 9. In a visual-signal device, a rotating having visual signals thereon, a mem-- ber havingradial grooves therein, a manually-operable member carrying, 15

at one end, a member slidable in said grooves, adjustable stops disposed in said grooves for limiting the outward movement of said slidable -member,

. able member and said rotating body for remechanism intermediate said slidvolving the latter upon movement of the former, and an" audible alarm associated with said visual-signal device and operable simultaneously upon actuation thereof.'

10. In a visual-signal device, a'rotating body having visual signals thereon, a member having radial grooves therein, a manually-operable member carrying, at one end, a member. slidable in said grooves, adjustable stops disposed in said grooves for limiting the outward movement of said slidable member, mechanism intermediate said slid-" able member, and said rotating body for revolving the latter upon movement-of the former, and an audible alarm associated with said visualsignal device and operable simultaneously upon actuation thereof, and

including a manually-operable member en- 'circling said visual-signal manually-operable member.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my signature in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

CHARLES S. MOORE. [1 s.] Witnesses:

JULIUS PEAKE, MAUDE M. MOORE.

copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. 01 

